Product Datasheet/Brochure
Now with Metamaterial Absorption Technology
Obsessed with sound quality and committed to bringing a superior listening experience, KEF has been
pioneering innovative acoustic engineering since 1961. In 2009 we gave our engineers free rein to create
a speaker to showcase KEF’s technology leadership and powers of innovation with no preconceptions and
restrictions, they came up with the revolutionary Concept Blade – the world’s first Single Apparent Source
loudspeaker. The concept was further refined and developed for production in 2011, when Blade became
HiFi loudspeakers that serious audiophiles could actually own.
Blade is an attitude. It’s about exploring the art of the possible and pushing boundaries of HiFi sound without
preconceptions which is why the latest version of Blade benefits from our latest acoustic innovations:
Metamaterial Absorption Technology
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(MAT™), a bespoke 12th generation Uni-Q driver array and a host of
other improvements.
The Blade series consists of two models: Blade One Meta and Blade Two Meta. Both sharing the same DNA,
the same technology and the same striking aesthetic, Blade Two Meta is on a slightly smaller scale.
Single Apparent Source Technology
At the heart of Blade lies the Single Apparent Source technology. Single Apparent Source is an extension to
the iconic Uni-Q driver array, the building block of the KEF signature sound. The technology aims to achieve
the acoustic ideal of a point source, where low, mid and high frequencies radiate from one point.
Perfectly calibrated drivers that cover the speaker’s entire bandwidth are configured so all frequencies
appear to radiate from one single point. With Blade, four low-frequency drivers in symmetrically opposing
pairs are tightly packed around a two-way Uni-Q driver where the mid-frequency and high-frequency share
the same acoustic centre.
The result is noticeably more precise imaging and highly accurate sound across a wider area. This is what
makes Blade incredibly coherent across all audible frequencies; what you hear is more real and immersive.
Revolutionary sound absorption with MAT™
A truly revolutionary tool in the KEF acoustic armoury, Metamaterial Absorption Technology (MAT) is a highly
complex maze-like structure, where each of the intricate channels efficiently absorbs a specific frequency.
When combined, the channels act as an acoustic black hole, absorbing 99% of the unwanted sound that
comes from the rear of the tweeter, eliminating the resulting distortion and providing a purer, more natural
acoustic performance.
A result of joint development with the Acoustic Metamaterials Group, using MAT breaks completely new
ground in loudspeaker design, and once again demonstrates KEF’s unrelenting passion for developing new
technologies to improve your listening experience. Metamaterials are specially developed structures that
use existing materials in such a way that they exhibit new, desirable properties that are simply not found in
naturally occurring substances.
12
th
Generation Uni-Q with MAT™ delivers
The 12
th
generation Uni-Q with MAT for Blade is a bespoke driver array engineered to deliver pristine
performance on our flagship loudspeaker. It’s the result of decades of accumulated in-house knowledge and
the application of cutting-edge simulation and analysis tools. The developments are many and all play a part
in Blade’s sensational performance.
For starters, the new stiffened aluminium tweeter dome that sits at the centre of the state-of-the-art Uni-Q
driver array is capable of delivering consistently sweet, lucid and lyrical treble, irrespective of the volume.
KEF engineers re-engineered the tweeter gap damper to maximise the space at the back of the tweeter for
the new metamaterial absorber. Optimising the cavity shape and strategically placing two rings of porous
material effectively tame the resonances and imperfections, thus greatly improving detail and clarity.
BLADE
Flagship Floorstanding Loudspeakers
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Metamaterial Absorption Technology is a joint development with Acoustic Metamaterials Group.
Summary of features
• Single Apparent Source technology revolutionises
the orientation of the low, mid, and high
frequency drivers to deliver sound you hear to be
more real and immersive
• Metamaterial Absorption Technology eliminates
99% of high-frequency distortion for pure, natural
sound
• Bespoke 12th generation Uni-Q with MAT driver
array for exceptional acoustic accuracy
• Two pairs of force-cancelling LF drivers deliver
clean, massively extended bass
• Enhanced crossover design fine-tuned the signal
path for maximum clarity
• Optimised cabinet design for best acoustic
performance
• Two models: Blade One Meta, Blade Two Meta
• Available in eight finishes
• Customised finishes are available upon request